Korean Burdock Tea – 우엉차

Burdock Tea (우엉차) is a medicinal beverage commonly found in both South Korea as well as Japan. Burdock tea has a subtle earthy and flavour that’s reminiscent of ginseng.

It’s said that burdock tea is beneficial for weight loss, improved blood circulation, relieving constipation, as well as having anti-cancerous properties. However I encourage you to do your own research before using burdock for it’s medicinal properties.

*Pregnant women should avoid burdock.

Ingredients:

• Burdock Root
• Water

Instructions:

To use as a tea, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1teaspoon of burdock root. Cover and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.

To make a decoction, add 1 teaspoon of burdock root to one cup of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

1. Scrub burdock root and slice thinly with a knife, a mandoline or a vegetable peeler.

2. Dehydrate burdock on the lowest setting. At 95◦F it took about 8 hours however time will vary depending on humidity and other factors.

If using an oven, lay the burdock on baking sheets and set the oven to it’s lowest setting while leaving the door slightly afar.

Once the burdock is fully dried it should snap clean when bending.

3. Store burdock in an airtight container.

4. You can make tea with dehydrated burdock root, or after dehydrating toast the dried root gently for a richer flavour.

5. Steep the root in boiled water for at least 5 minutes. For a deeper flavour, boil the root in water and let steep for a few hours before serving.

6. Strain the burdock root and enjoy!